How To Make Homemade Glitter Silly Putty

Silly putty is a timeless toy that gave me hours of enjoyment as a child. I remember it coming in a red elongated egg shaped container that had the strangest smell. The concept of putty has expanded since I was a child. These days we have silly putty, slime, GAK, Play-Doh, and even play foam. All of these products can be manipulated, folded, squished, and rolled up to form different shapes. Toodie has grown fond of these types of toys so I decided to attempt the re-creation of the classic putty by adding glitter. Everything is better with sparkle!

Here is what you are going to need to make your very own sparklin' putty:

• Elmer's Glitter Glue
• Borax Detergent Boost
• Water
• Measuring cup
• Whisk
• Mixing bowl

If you do not have this particular glue you can use always use the traditional Elmer's glue, food coloring, and then add chunky craft glitter for the same effect. The glitter glue is available in several colors including pink, green, blue, purple, yellow, and red. I found mine at Michael's craft store.

Directions:
  1. In a bowl combine the entire bottle of gitter glue (6 oz.) and 6 oz. of warm water. The amount of water should be equal to the amount of glue, otherwise your mixture will turn out very watery.

2. Mix together with a fork or whisk until glitter glue is broken down and thinned out. Lumps should be removed.

3. In measuring cup add 4 oz. of warm water and 1 teaspoon of Borax. Stir until the Borax is dissolved and water is cloudy.

4. In the bowl with the watered down glitter glue, pour in the Borax mixture. Use whisk to mix as you pour.  The faster your whisk the faster your putty will harden.

5. Stir until a flubbery blob is created. You can even use your hands to warm up the putty and get it flexible. Pour out any excess water.  

If you find that your putty is becoming stiff and not very flexible you can toss it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to soften up. For storage use an air tight container or large Ziploc bag. You can also give your child different shaped cookie cutters and a rolling pin to play with the putty.

Did you happen to notice there are no pictures of the actual Pink colored putty? Through three attempts that included much trial and error it sacrificed itself so I can could finally figure out how to make this stuff the right way! I did promise Toodie that we would make another batch of Hot Pink Glitter putty for her Valentine birthday next month. Using small containers you can break the putty into pieces and your child can give them away as little Valentine's Day favors to friends or classmates.

Have you made homemade putty with your children? Play-doh? If you have other fun ideas or homemade creations you would like to share, please do. This is also the perfect rainy day activity to do with your little ones. Minimal mess and hours of fun after!